Synonyms of deform

deform

verb

di-ˈfȯrm 

as in to distort

to twist (something) out of a natural or normal shape or condition

a cynic whose face seems to be permanently deformed by a sneer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distort
• contort
• screw
• curl
• misshape
• warp
• torture
• disfigure
• deface
• squinch
• loop
• coil
• spiral
• wind
• wring
• wrench
• twine
• wrest
• wreathe

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straighten
• unbend
• uncurl

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb deform contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of deform are contort, distort, and warp. While all these words mean "to mar or spoil by or as if by twisting," deform may imply a change of shape through stress, injury, or accident of growth.

a face deformed by hatred

How are the words distort and contort related as synonyms of deform?

Distort and contort both imply a wrenching from the natural or normal, but contort suggests a more involved twisting and a more grotesque and painful result.

the odd camera angle distorts the figure

disease had contorted her body

When can warp be used instead of deform?

In some situations, the words warp and deform are roughly equivalent. However, warp indicates an uneven shrinking that bends or twists out of a flat plane.

warped floorboards

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deform

New traction and stability programming first needed to cope with the tires deforming significantly under hard acceleration and sending sensors haywire. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2025

And so the news that comes out of his administration is deformed as well. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 14 May 2025

And a vision of Maman lost, deformed, reformed, disappeared, reappeared in the clouds—in repressed, compressed, thinning, regathering clouds of torment. —Hélène Bessette, Harpers Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025

What if the other side was deformed or even missing? —Jim Carmichel, Outdoor Life, 5 June 2025